2018 Help America Vote Act HAVA Election Security Grant Program Narrative State of Alabama Secretary of State Notice of Grant Award AL18101001 The State of Alabama has greatly benefited from the Help America Vote Act HAVA Grant Program since its inception With election security and integrity remaining a paramount concern nationwide the State of Alabama seeks to utilize the HAVA grant funds $6 160 393 under Notice of Award AL18101001 together with the State Match Share $308 020 to continue the progress made under the initial HAVA Grant Program to improve the administration of elections for Federal office Specifically our program narrative and budget for the 2018 HAVA Election Security Grant will be apportioned in four categories as follows • • • • Voting Equipment Replacement and Upgrades Election Auditing Voting Registration Systems and Management Cyber Vulnerabilities Please find below our brief descriptions respectively of how the grant funding will be allocated per the four above referenced categories as follows Voting Equipment Replacement and Upgrades The State of Alabama has planned by the attached budget and over the two-year match period to meet its 5% State Match Share of $308 020 by purchasing new computers and computer related equipment for all of Alabama’s 67 counties The period to replace the equipment is scheduled to be accomplished over a two-year period shorter if possible The Secretary of State’s Office has budgeted funds to fulfill this project in Fiscal Year 2019 and will plan to budget further necessary funding in Fiscal Year 2020 if the replacement activity has not been completed in Fiscal Year 2019 The equipment has become aged remains in need of perpetual repair or replacement and will be benefited with certain security enhancements such as Ransomware Protection found in newer computer equipment The equipment will be provided only to the primary county election officials the county probate judge county chief election official absentee election manager and voter registration office county board of registrars By upgrading the equipment the county elections officials 5 positions will be enabled to have unfettered connectivity to the computerized statewide voter registration list The computerized statewide voter registration list is the uniform voter registration database administered by State of Alabama by and through its Secretary of State used by all Alabama’s counties to ensure all Program Narrative Page 1 of 3 voter registrations statewide operated for all elections including federal are consistent secure accurate and reliable The Secretary of State’s Office confirms that all purchases of voting equipment related to the 2018 HAVA Election Security Grant will be documented by paper purchase order invoice or other like instrument Once the previously mentioned instruments are received they are scanned and digitized into the Office’s finance database for inspection and or audit Election Auditing The State of Alabama has planned by the attached budget and over the five-year grant period to allocate $800 000 of the 2018 HAVA Election Security Grant to establish post-election auditing protocols Currently the state is only involved with limited post-election auditing Prior to the November 2018 General Election or directly thereafter the Secretary of State will request the convening of a public body known as the Alabama Electronic Voting Committee for it to authorize postelection auditing processes to be carried out by the Secretary of State or by it as a public body By auditing post-election results through data and human intensive measures the integrity of the elections process will be confirmed strengthened and validated Voting Registration Systems and Management The State of Alabama has planned by the attached budget and over the five-year grant period to allocate $3 000 000 of the 2018 HAVA Election Security Grant to continue the provision of the computerized statewide voter registration list for the entire state Since the original HAVA funding allocations the Secretary of State’s Office has used the same to provide for the computerized statewide voter registration list and the foresaid allocation of new HAVA funding will continue its provision in succeeding years The computerized statewide voter registration list is the uniform voter registration database administered by State of Alabama by and through its Secretary of State used by all of Alabama’s counties to ensure all voter registrations statewide operated for all elections including federal are consistent secure accurate and reliable The current contract for the computerized statewide voter registration list will expire in December 2019 The Secretary of State will be issuing its Request for Proposals to continue the system in the summer of 2018 to ensure the marketplace has a lengthened period for potential vendor competition and thereafter their response to the state for it to determine the lowest responsible quote The system currently provides strong security measures to authenticate users and deter potential bad actors attempting to gain access to the same Importantly the new grant funds will provide more flexibility to the state to enhance and increase the use of Two-factor Authentication for all users accessing the system As time progresses and during the grant period prior to effecting the new system contract after December 2019 more security Program Narrative Page 2 of 3 enhancement measures will be identified to add to the Request for Proposals solicitation and or to the final contract The allocation of new funding as above referenced will also allow for the inclusion of a combination of new security equipment primarily security-based mechanisms such as Twofactor Authentication tools and other similar security-type apparatuses and security upgrades to the existing system and its internal applications Cyber Vulnerabilities The State of Alabama has planned by the attached budget and over the five-year grant period to allocate $2 360 393 of the 2018 HAVA Election Security Grant to provide for cybersecurity enhancements to augment the existing network provided by the state through its information technology department Currently the state provides agencies of the state government through its Office of Information Technology a department exclusive of the Secretary of State’s Office certain cyber and other information technology assistance and support Due to the current climate throughout the nation where reoccurring instances of bad actors have been identified either attempting to penetrate governmental cyber environments or their being successful in compromising said cyber environments and coupled with new cyber technologies available to governments the state will investigate implement and identify new technologies to work to eliminate potential cyber vulnerabilities Program Narrative Page 3 of 3 2018 HAVA ELECTION SECURITY GRANT CFDA # 90 404 Budget Information Name of Organization Non-Construction Program State of Alabama Secretary of State Budget Period Start 3 23 2018 Budget Period End 3 22 2023 SECTION A - BUDGET SUMMARY a Voting Equipment BUDGET CATEGORIES Consolidated Budget for total project term-up to 5 years as defined by grantee FEDERAL NON-FEDERAL FUNDS Match c Voter Registration Systems b Election Auditing PROGRAM CATEGORIES d Cyber Security e Communications f Other ______________ g Other ______________ 1 PERSONNEL including fringe TOTALS $ 2 EQUIPMENT $ 800 000 00 $ 2 360 393 00 $ % Fed Total - 3 160 393 00 0% 51% 3 SUBGRANTS- to local voting jurisdictions $ - 0% 4 TRAINING $ - 0% 5 All OTHER COSTS 6 TOTAL DIRECT COSTS 1-6 $ - $ 800 000 00 $ 3 000 000 00 $ 3 000 000 00 $ 2 360 393 00 $ - $ - $ - 7 INDIRECT COSTS if applied $ 11 Non-Federal Match $ 308 020 00 12 Total Program Budget $ 308 020 00 Proposed State Match 3 000 000 00 $ 6 160 393 00 $ 8 Total Federal Budget 13 Percentage By Category $ - $ $ 800 000 00 800 000 00 0% $ $ 3 000 000 00 3 000 000 00 13% 49% 5 0% A Do you have an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement approved by the Federal government or some other non-federal entity If yes please provide the following information NO B Period Covered by the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement mm dd yyyy-mm dd yyy N A C Approving Federal agency N A D If other than Federal agency please specify N A E The Indirect Cost Rate is N A $ $ 2 360 393 00 2 360 393 00 38% $ $ - $ - $ 0% - $ - $ 0% - 0% - $ 6 160 393 00 $ 308 020 00 $ 6 468 413 00 49% 0%